Compact focused search interface

Abstract

A graphical user interface for searching information related to business objects includes a search interface having one or more user input fields for receiving data from a user related to one or more attributes associated with business objects. The search interface presents the one or more user input fields in response to a user context. A first tab displays information related to a set of business objects in response to a search based on the data provided to the one or more user input fields. A second tab displays information related to a business object in the set of business objects.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 displaying, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, information about a first business object in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database; 
 displaying, with the one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, a compact search interface within the main working area of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface; 
 receiving, at the one or more computer systems, one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface; 
 determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms; 
 displaying, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, two or more search results from the set of search results; 
 receiving, at the one or more computer systems, a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and 
 in response to receiving the selection of the second business object within the two or more search results, generating and displaying, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a graphical representation of a second tab in the main working area of the graphical user interface together with a graphical representation of a first tab, the first tab providing information about the first business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the first tab is selected, the second tab providing information about the second business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the second tab is selected. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a selection of the graphical representation of the second tab; and 
 switching in the main working area of the graphical user interface between the displayed two or more search results and the information about the second business object. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 generating a stored search based on the one or more search terms; and 
 storing the stored search in the database. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 retrieving the stored search from the database in response to one or more user interactions made within the search interface; and 
 executing a search based on the stored search. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining the context based on a task or type of task being performed by the user in the main working area. 
 
     
     
       6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code executable by a processor of a computer system, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 code for displaying information about a first business object in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database; 
 code for displaying a compact search interface within the main working area of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface; 
 code for receiving one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface; 
 code for determining a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms; 
 code for displaying two or more search results from the set of search results; 
 code for receiving a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and 
 code for generating and displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the second business object within the two or more search results, a graphical representation of a second tab in the main working area of the graphical user interface together with a graphical representation of a first tab, the first tab providing information about the first business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the first tab is selected, the second tab providing information about the second business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the second tab is selected. 
 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 code for receiving a selection of the graphical representation of the second tab; and 
 code for switching in the main working area of the graphical user interface between the displayed two or more search results and the information about the second business object. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 code for generating a stored search based on the one or more search terms; and 
 code for storing the stored search in the database. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 code for retrieving the stored search from the database in response to one or more user interactions made with the search interface; and 
 code for executing a search based on the stored search. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 code for determining the context based on a task or type of task being performed by the user in the main working area. 
 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory storing a set of instructions which when executed by the processor configured the processor to:
 display information about a first business object in a graphical representation of a first tab in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database; 
 display a compact search interface within the main working of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface; 
 receive one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface; 
 determine a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms; 
 display two or more search results from the set of search results; 
 receive a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and 
 in response to receiving the selection of the second business object within the two or more search results, display a graphical representation of a second tab in the main working area of the graphical user interface together with a graphical representation of a first tab, the first tab providing information about the first business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the first tab is selected, the second tab providing information about the second business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the second tab is selected. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a selection of the graphical representation of the second tab; and 
 switch in the main working area of the graphical user interface between the displayed two or more search results and the information about the second business object. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate a stored search based on the one or more search terms; and 
 store the stored search in the database. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 retrieve the stored search from the database in response to one or more user interactions made with the search interface; and 
 execute a search based on the stored search. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine the context based on a task or type of task being performed by the user in the main working area.